"Paper-bag waist" is probably the dumbest new name for an old trend (the runner up has got to be the bubble dress). What happened to elegant, attractive words like ruched or gathered? At the very least they could have picked something less evocative of our current depressing state of affairs than a paper bag. It makes me picture people scurrying around a barren post-apocalyptic city barely swathed in old newspaper. Which is not very fashion-y.

Apparently the global economic crisis has also affected the number of appropriate and eloquent words available. Who knew. Perhaps the fashion industry can win a stimulus check from Obama. I mean really, how much can a thesaurus cost, a thousand dollars?